Aliens vs Predator and The UK Games Biz

Rebellion’s main office in Oxford is a fairly unassuming building to look at from the outside. It’s long and flat, with mirrored windows and it’s surrounded by builder’s merchants and the colour beige. It’s also where some of the best games of last decade game come from, as well as being the residence of Judge Dredd.

Despite appearances it’s a full-on hive of activity. The same could be said for co-founder and CEO Jason Kingsley, who looks a rather calm and easy-going sort if judged by first impressions, but who is actually one of the most important men in the UK games industry. Not only does his studio work with some of the biggest and best licenses available, from Aliens to Star Wars, but he’s also a chairman and founder of TIGA, the UK’s games industry trade association. On top of all that, Rebellion also owns 2000AD comics.

We got a chance to sit down with Jason at his Oxford office earlier this week, grilling him extensively on both the current Aliens versus Predator project and how he feels it is shaping up and what he thinks of the rating systems and company incentives that are currently such massive issues for developers across the world. Here’s what he had to say for himself…

Clash of the titans

Bit-tech:So, tell us about yourself and Rebellion?

Jason Kingsley: Well, this is the main HQ for Rebellion, in Oxford. We also have a studio in Runcorn and one in Derby. It was founded…god, 18 years ago. 1993? 1994? About that. I’m the owner and co-founder with my brother, so really all of this is my fault.

BT:Something for you clarify so we don’t get it wrong; this next game is Aliens versus Predator? With a plural? And the first one was singular Alien?

Jason: Plural now, correct.

BT:So, if you’re not going with a AVP 2 or anything does that mean that you’re rebooting the series?

Jason: Oof. I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s not really a reboot, it’s just that…we know the type of game we did the first time around on the Jaguar and we know what we did with the PC version in 1999, which we just re-released on Steam. That last one especially was kind of a seminal game, really. It innovated in so many different ways, though it does look a bit old and creaky now because of today’s gee-whiz graphics. Obviously we were fans of all that – and a large number of the team were involved in the PC game, while many of those that didn’t wanted to work with us because of it. So, it was really that we didn’t want to throw away the good stuff. We wanted to build on it for a new game.

Pile on!

So, that’s what we did. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s not a reboot. It’s basically revisiting the franchise. I wouldn’t call it a reboot though because we haven’t really based anything on the older games. It’s an original storyline and everything.

BT:And it’s not based on any of the AVP films or…?

Jason: No, because the Aliens versus Predator films were—

BT:A big pile of crap?

Jason: Ha! Well, I’ll say that they were made in response to the game. Paul Anderson came to visit us just after we’d put the PC title and said ‘I’d like to make this into a film’. We said ‘Nothing to do with us, mate. We’re just the developers. You need to talk to Fox.’

Obviously, they did go an talk to Fox and eventually managed to get the money to come and play in our sandpit and make a film based on the game, but of a type that was quite different.

We sit down for a cup of tea with Jason Kingsley, founder of Rebellion and the chairman of TIGA, The Independent Games Developers Association. We find out what he thinks the future holds for the UK games industry, as well as what the challenges facing new companies.

As skulking xenomorphs, monstrous Predators and trembling Marines we've explored everything that the new AVP has to offer. Now, we're back to report on what we think of Rebellion's new Aliens vs Predator. Plus, check out our exclusive video of the game in our first ever Gamecast!

Joe takes a look at all three campaigns of the new Aliens versus Predator, as well as the new survivor mode. Is the upcoming game a consolified mess? Is it as scary as the 1999 classic? The only way to find out for sure is to read the preview.

Rebellion's new game in the AVP series promises to bring the original games, which were among the most terrifying creations ever, up to date and to a new audience. Have the successfully captured the feel of the original and will we even live long enough to find out?

Out at GamesCom 2009 we sat down with Rebellion's Tim Jones to see how the new Alien versus Predator is shaping up and whether there'll be a new Judge Dredd game any time soon. Check out what he had to say, as well as what he thinks of gory games, within.